The Chair – Class 6 English Poorvi Question Answer (NCERT 2026–27)

Complete NCERT Solutions for Class 6 English Poorvi Unit 2 (Friendship) – “The Chair”: summary, theme, word meanings and every textbook exercise (Let us discuss, Let us think and reflect, Let us learn, Let us listen, Let us speak, Let us write, Let us explore) answered in full. The questions are reproduced exactly as in the NCERT book, and every fill-in, matching and table task is written out as readable text.

Class: 6 Subject: English Book: Poorvi Unit: 2 – Friendship Type: Story Session: 2026–27
On this page

About the chapter

“The Chair” is a light, humorous story from Unit 2, ‘Friendship’. It is about a boy named Mario who loves to boast about how many friends he has. His wise grandfather makes a playful bet with him and gives him a ‘special’ invisible chair. When Mario tries to sit on it in front of his classmates at school, only three of them – Guneet, Asma and Deepa – help to hold him up, while the others simply laugh at his falls. Through this clever test, Mario learns the difference between true friends and mere companions.

About the story

“The Chair” appears in the NCERT Class 6 English textbook Poorvi, in the unit on Friendship. The textbook does not print a separate author by-line for this piece; it is a short, modern teaching story chosen for the theme of friendship. Written in simple, playful English, it uses the funny idea of an ‘invisible chair’ to teach a serious value – that real friends are the ones who support and care for us, not those who enjoy our troubles. Its tone is warm and gently humorous, making it easy and enjoyable for young readers.

Summary

There was a boy called Mario who loved to have lots of friends. He showed off a great deal, always talking about how many friends he had at school and how friendly he was with everyone. One day his grandfather made him a bet of a fruit chaat, saying that Mario did not really have as many friends as he thought – many of them, he felt, were nothing more than companions or partners.

Mario accepted the bet readily, but he did not know how to test whether his schoolmates were real friends. So he asked his grandfather for help. Grandpa went up to the attic and came back as though carrying something, though Mario could see nothing in his hands. He handed Mario a ‘very special’ invisible chair, explaining that because it was invisible it was tricky to sit on. If Mario could take it to school and manage to sit on it, the magic would work and he would be able to tell who his real friends were.

Brave and determined, Mario carried the strange chair to school. At break time he asked everyone to form a circle and stood in the middle. He tried to sit on the chair, but each time he missed and fell to the ground, and his classmates laughed. Mario would not give up. He kept trying until, suddenly, he sat without falling – hanging in mid-air. Then he saw the magic: Guneet, Asma and Deepa, three of his buddies, were holding him up so he would not fall, while the others had only made fun of him and enjoyed every fall. Mario realised that true friends are those who care for us, not those who take joy in our bad luck. That evening the four children visited Grandpa, who had won the bet, and enjoyed stories and fruit chaat together.

Theme & message

The central theme is the difference between true friends and mere companions. Through the clever ‘invisible chair’ test, the story shows that real friends are the ones who support and care for us in difficult moments, while false friends laugh at our troubles. The message is that the value of friendship lies in quality, not in numbers – it is far better to have a few caring, loyal friends than many who do not truly stand by us. The story also gently celebrates the wisdom of elders and learning from them.

Word meanings

WordEnglish meaningHindi meaning
showed offboasted; tried to impress othersदिखावा / शेखी बघारना
betan agreement on who is right, with a prizeशर्त / बाजी
companionspeople you spend time withसाथी / संगी
partnerspeople you do activities together withसाझीदार
acceptedagreed toस्वीकार करना
readilywillingly; without any problemखुशी-खुशी / बिना दिक्कत के
attica storage space just under the roofअटारी / छत के नीचे का भंडार-घर
invisibleimpossible to seeअदृश्य / जो दिखाई न दे
trickydifficult to doमुश्किल / पेचीदा
magica special, surprising powerजादू / सम्मोहन
determinedfirm in decision; not giving upदृढ़निश्चयी
amazingvery surprisingआश्चर्यजनक
backsidethe lower back part of the bodyपिछवाड़ा / नितंब
buddiesan informal word for friendsयार / दोस्त
experiencedfelt; went throughअनुभव किया
made fun oflaughed at; mockedमजाक उडाना
occasionsparticular times or eventsअवसर / मौके

Let us discuss

Part I

1. Mario was very proud of having so many friends. State whether True or False.

ANSWERTrue. Mario loved having lots of friends and showed off a lot, always talking about how many friends he had and how friendly he was with everyone.

2. What did the grandfather take from the attic?

ANSWERThe grandfather took a ‘very special’ invisible chair from the attic. Mario could see nothing in his hands, yet Grandpa said it was a magic chair that would help Mario find out who his real friends were.

3. Will Mario face any challenges?

ANSWERYes, Mario will face challenges. Because the chair is invisible and tricky to sit on, he will find it very hard to sit on it. He will keep missing the seat and falling to the ground while his classmates laugh at him.

4. Will Mario be able to use the magic?

ANSWERYes, Mario will be able to use the magic. Though he falls many times, he does not give up and keeps trying until at last he manages to sit without falling. The magic then works and helps him see who his true friends are.

Part II

1. Mario successfully sat on the invisible chair on his first attempt. State whether True or False.

ANSWERFalse. Mario missed the seat and fell to the ground several times. He sat on the chair without falling only after many attempts, when his three real friends held him up.

2. Fill in the blank with a suitable word. Mario’s grandfather challenged him to a bet of __________.

ANSWERMario’s grandfather challenged him to a bet of a fruit chaat.

3. Match the following characters with their action.

ANSWER Guneet, Asma and Deepa → (i) held Mario up, so he wouldn’t fall. The other classmates → (ii) made fun of Mario’s attempts. (Guneet, Asma and Deepa were Mario’s true friends who supported him; the rest only laughed.)

Let us think and reflect

I.1. “Take it. It’s a very special chair. As it’s invisible, it’s rather tricky to sit on it. But if you take it to school and manage to sit on it, then the magic will work and you’ll be able to tell who your real friends are.”

ANSWER (i) Fill in the blanks with two words that describe the chair. The chair is special and invisible. (ii) Why was it tricky to sit on the chair? It was tricky to sit on the chair because it was invisible – since Mario could not see it, he found it very difficult to judge where the seat was and kept missing it. (iii) Why does Mario’s grandfather call the chair ‘special’? Grandfather calls the chair ‘special’ because it has a magic power: if Mario manages to sit on it, it will reveal who his real friends are. The chair is not special for sitting, but for testing true friendship.

I.2. “Wait, wait, just a slight technical problem,” he said, trying again. But again, he missed the seat, causing more surprised looks and laughter. Mario wouldn’t give up.

ANSWER (i) Fill in the blank with a suitable reason. Mario says there was a technical problem because he was embarrassed about falling and wanted to explain away his failure to sit on the invisible chair in front of his classmates. (ii) Mario’s friends were very caring and helpful. State whether True or False. → True, but only for his three real friends – Guneet, Asma and Deepa – who held him up so he would not fall. The other classmates were not caring; they only laughed. (iii) Choose the correct option to complete the sentence. Mario wouldn’t give up. This shows he is a. strong-willed.

II. Answer the following questions.

ANSWER 1. What was the bet about? The bet was about whether Mario really had as many friends as he claimed. Grandfather bet a fruit chaat that many of Mario’s so-called friends were only companions or partners, not true friends. 2. What happened when Mario sat on the chair for the first time? When Mario first tried to sit on the invisible chair, he could not see it properly, so he missed the seat and fell straight onto his backside. His classmates had a good laugh at him. 3. How was Mario able to find his real friends? When Mario finally managed to ‘sit’ without falling, hanging in mid-air, he looked around and saw that Guneet, Asma and Deepa were holding him up so he would not fall. The others had only laughed at every fall. In this way the magic chair showed him who truly cared for him. 4. Do you think the magic chair test was good? Why do you say so? Yes, I think the test was good (sample view). In a clever and harmless way it showed Mario the difference between real friends and mere companions. Instead of merely telling him, his grandfather let him discover the truth himself, which made the lesson far more memorable and convincing. 5. What does ‘friends for life’ mean to you? (Sample) To me, ‘friends for life’ means people who stay with us through good and bad times, who support us when we struggle and are honest with us. Such friends do not laugh at our failures but help us up, just as Guneet, Asma and Deepa helped Mario. 6. The grandfather’s idea helped Mario find his ‘real friends’. Mention any other way that would help you find out who are your ‘real friends’. (Sample) One way is to see who stands by us when we are in trouble or have made a mistake. Real friends help us, keep our secrets and are happy at our success, while false friends disappear in hard times or enjoy our failures.

Let us learn

I. Root words and suffixes

Read the following words from the text – friendly, suddenly, talking, carrying, called, showed – and complete the table by dividing the words into two parts (Column A = root word, Column B = suffix). One has been done for you.

ANSWER 1. friend + ly (given) 2. sudden + ly 3. talk + ing 4. carry + ing 5. call + ed 6. show + ed (The words in Column A are the root words; the letters in Column B that come after them are suffixes.)

II. Match root words with suffixes and make sentences

Match the following root words with suitable suffixes (-ing, -al, -ful, -ly, -ed, -tion, -ous, -ship). You can use a suffix more than once. One has been done for you (magic + -al = magical).

ANSWER (suitable words) 1. magic + -al → magical (given) – The magician performed an amazing magical act. 2. care + -ful → careful – Be careful while crossing the road. 3. celebrate + -ion → celebration – The whole class joined the birthday celebration. 4. laugh + -ing → laughing – The children were laughing at the funny clown. 5. wonder + -ful → wonderful – We had a wonderful time at the fair. 6. help + -ful → helpful – My friend is always helpful to me. 7. friend + -ship → friendship – True friendship lasts a lifetime. 8. courage + -ous → courageous – The courageous soldier saved many lives. (Note: observe the small spelling changes – celebrate → celebration, courage → courageous.)

III. Describe Mario (adjectives)

Read the line ‘Mario, brave and determined, took the strange invisible chair…’ You have already described the chair. Now describe what kind of a person Mario is. (Use words from the story; you may also use your own.)

ANSWER (sample)Mario is brave, determined, confident, friendly, cheerful and a little boastful. Even when he keeps falling, he does not give up, which shows he is also strong-willed. By the end of the story he becomes wiser and learns to value true friends. (The words that describe the quality of a person or thing are called adjectives.)

IV. Match adjectives with nouns

Match each adjective in Column A with a suitable noun in Column B. You can make more than one combination. One has been done as an example (brave + soldier → The brave soldier marched ahead).

ANSWER (sample pairings) 1. brave → soldier / friends – phrase: brave soldier – The brave soldier marched ahead. (given) 2. clever → plan / friends – The clever plan worked perfectly. 3. tasty → peanuts – We ate a bowl of tasty peanuts. 4. heavy → rain – Heavy rain flooded the streets. 5. slight → cold – She had a slight cold yesterday. 6. true → friends – True friends always help each other. (Other combinations such as ‘clever soldier’ or ‘true plan’ are also possible; choose ones that make sense.)

V. Complete the paragraph with adjective-noun pairings

Complete the paragraph with suitable adjective-noun pairings from the box (old book, magical adventures, happy boy, amazing stories, fantastic adventures, colourful creatures, old castles).

ANSWER Once upon a time in a little village, a 1. happy boy named Abhishek found an 2. old book in the attic. He read 3. amazing stories about fairy lands, 4. old castles and 5. colourful creatures. Abhishek’s eyes got big as he imagined these 6. magical adventures. He told his friends about the stories, and they started to have their own 7. fantastic adventures when they played together.

Let us listen, speak, write & explore

Let us listen

You will listen to Manu talk about her friend, Monika. As you listen, fill in the blanks with words that you hear. (refer to the transcript)

ANSWER (based on the textbook transcript) 1. Manu found it difficult when she took admission in the school. 2. Manu met Monika and was helped by her in many ways. 3. So, it was not so difficult for the new girl to adjust in the school. 4. Both friends experienced difficult and happy moments together. 5. Manu is thankful to Monika for making her life easy and finding a friend.

Note: This is a listening task. The answers above match the audio transcript given in the textbook (Manu describing how Monika, a supportive friend, guided her, introduced her to others and shared her notes). In class, listen carefully and fill in exactly what you hear.

Let us speak

Work in pairs. Read the qualities of a friend (loving, kind, loyal, honest, caring, polite, respectful, team-worker, understanding). Choose any four positive qualities you would like your friend to have and give a reason, using the hints provided.

SAMPLE RESPONSE • I feel my friend should be honest because then I can trust whatever he tells me. • I think the quality I want in my friend is being caring. The reason for this is that a caring friend helps me when I am sad or in trouble. • I believe my friend should be loyal. This is in order to be sure that he will always stand by me. • If my friend is understanding, then he will forgive my small mistakes and never misunderstand me.

Note: This is a speaking (pair-work) task. Your choices and reasons may differ – the answer above is only a model. Speak confidently using the hint sentences.

Let us write

1. Choose the correct word given in brackets to complete Mario’s message to Guneet.

ANSWER Dear Guneet, I am thankful to God to have you as a real friend for life. When everyone was laughing at me, Deepa, Asma and you showed me that you care for me. You are indeed a blessing in my life. Best wishes, Mario.

2. Now, write your own message to your best friend. You may take ideas from the story ‘The Unlikely Best Friends’ and the poem ‘A Friend’s Prayer’.

SAMPLE MESSAGEDear Riya, I feel so lucky to have you as my best friend. You always help me when I am in trouble and listen to me when I am sad. Like a true friend, you are honest, caring and always there for me. I said a little prayer for you before sleeping last night. Thank you for making my school days happy. Your friend, Aman.

Note: This is a writing task; your own message will be different. Keep it warm, honest and about the value of true friendship.

Let us explore

1. Find out more stories about ‘Friendship’ from your state, other states or other countries, and share them with your class. 2. Write an acrostic poem describing your friends using the letters F-R-I-E-N-D-S. 3. Talk to people of different age groups about what friendship means to them, then discuss, reflect and present your findings.

GUIDANCE & SAMPLE 1. You may share well-known friendship stories such as the Jataka tale ‘The Elephant and the Dog’, the friendship of Krishna and Sudama, or any folk tale from your region. 2. Sample acrostic – Faithful, Reliable, Interesting, Encouraging, Nice, Dependable, Sincere. 3. Interview people aged 50+, 31–49, 20–30 and 12–19 about ‘What does friendship mean to you?’ Note their answers, discuss similarities and differences across ages, reflect on how views change with experience, and present a short summary of the key ideas.

Note: These are project and discussion tasks to be done with classmates; the responses above are only examples to guide you.

Extra questions

Short answer (30–40 words)

1. Why did the grandfather make a bet with Mario?

ANSWERThe grandfather made the bet because Mario kept boasting about having many friends. Grandfather believed that most of them were only companions or partners, not true friends, and wanted to make Mario realise this himself.

2. What was special about the chair the grandfather gave Mario?

ANSWERThe chair was invisible, so it was very tricky to sit on. Its special ‘magic’ was that if Mario managed to sit on it at school, he would be able to tell which of his classmates were his real friends.

3. How did Mario’s classmates react when he tried to sit on the chair?

ANSWERMost of Mario’s classmates laughed at him and made fun of every fall, enjoying his struggle. Only three of them – Guneet, Asma and Deepa – quietly helped to hold him up so that he would not fall.

4. What did Mario learn from the magic chair test?

ANSWERMario learned that true friends are those who care for us and help us in difficult times. A real friend does not take joy in our bad luck. He understood that quality of friendship matters more than the number of friends.

5. What happened in the evening after the chair test?

ANSWERIn the evening the four children – Mario, Guneet, Asma and Deepa – visited Mario’s grandpa, who had won the bet. They had a great time listening to stories and eating a lot of fruit chaat together.

Long answer (100–120 words)

6. Describe how the grandfather’s clever plan helped Mario discover his true friends.

ANSWERMario loved to boast about having many friends, so his grandfather made a clever bet of a fruit chaat. Instead of arguing, Grandpa gave Mario an invisible ‘magic’ chair and asked him to sit on it at school. Because the chair could not be seen, Mario kept missing the seat and falling, and most classmates simply laughed. But when he finally sat without falling, he saw that Guneet, Asma and Deepa were holding him up so he would not get hurt. The plan worked beautifully: it showed Mario, through his own experience, that real friends support us in our struggles, while false friends only enjoy our troubles. He learned to value true friendship.

7. What message does ‘The Chair’ give us about friendship? Explain with reference to the story.

ANSWER‘The Chair’ teaches that the value of friendship lies in its quality, not in the number of friends. Mario had boasted about having many friends, but the invisible-chair test revealed that most were only companions who laughed at his falls. Only three – Guneet, Asma and Deepa – truly cared and held him up. Through this, the story shows that real friends support us, protect us and feel happy at our success, while false friends disappear or mock us in difficult times. It reminds us to value a few loyal, caring friends rather than chase a large crowd, and to be such a true friend to others ourselves.

MCQs & Assertion–Reason

1. What was the name of the boy in the story?

(a) Abhishek   (b) Mario   (c) Guneet   (d) Gajaraj

ANSWER(b) Mario.

2. What did Mario love to do?

(a) study hard   (b) play alone   (c) show off about having many friends   (d) cook fruit chaat

ANSWER(c) show off about having many friends.

3. What did the grandfather bet?

(a) a chair   (b) a fruit chaat   (c) some money   (d) a book

ANSWER(b) a fruit chaat.

4. Where did the grandfather get the special chair from?

(a) the market   (b) the garden   (c) the attic   (d) the school

ANSWER(c) the attic.

5. What was unusual about the chair?

(a) it was very big   (b) it was invisible   (c) it was golden   (d) it could talk

ANSWER(b) it was invisible.

6. Where did Mario try to sit on the chair?

(a) at home   (b) in the garden   (c) at school during break time   (d) in the attic

ANSWER(c) at school during break time.

7. What happened the first few times Mario tried to sit on the chair?

(a) he sat easily   (b) he missed the seat and fell   (c) the chair broke   (d) he flew away

ANSWER(b) he missed the seat and fell.

8. Who held Mario up so that he would not fall?

(a) the teacher   (b) Guneet, Asma and Deepa   (c) his grandfather   (d) all the classmates

ANSWER(b) Guneet, Asma and Deepa.

9. What did the rest of the classmates do?

(a) helped Mario   (b) called the teacher   (c) made fun of him and laughed   (d) went away

ANSWER(c) made fun of him and laughed.

10. What did Mario finally learn from the test?

(a) magic is real   (b) true friends are those who care for us   (c) chairs are useful   (d) he should not go to school

ANSWER(b) true friends are those who care for us.
MCQ Answer Key: 1-(b), 2-(c), 3-(b), 4-(c), 5-(b), 6-(c), 7-(b), 8-(b), 9-(c), 10-(b)

Assertion–Reason – choose: (a) A and R true, R explains A; (b) A and R true, R does not explain A; (c) A true, R false; (d) A false, R true.

1. Assertion (A): The grandfather made a bet with Mario.

Reason (R): He believed many of Mario’s friends were only companions or partners, not real friends.

ANSWER(a) Both true and R correctly explains A.

2. Assertion (A): Mario found it very hard to sit on the chair.

Reason (R): The chair was invisible, so it was tricky to sit on it.

ANSWER(a) Both true and R correctly explains A.

3. Assertion (A): Mario kept trying to sit on the chair even after falling many times.

Reason (R): Mario was strong-willed and would not give up.

ANSWER(a) Both true and R correctly explains A.

4. Assertion (A): All of Mario’s classmates helped him when he was falling.

Reason (R): Only Guneet, Asma and Deepa held Mario up, while the others laughed at him.

ANSWER(d) A is false (not all classmates helped him), while R is true.

5. Assertion (A): The grandfather won the bet.

Reason (R): The test proved that Mario had only a few real friends, not as many as he had claimed.

ANSWER(a) Both true and R correctly explains A.

Exam tips & common mistakes

Exam tips

• Remember the order of events: boasting → the bet → the invisible chair → falling at school → three friends hold him up → lesson learned → fruit chaat with Grandpa.
• Always name the three true friends correctly – Guneet, Asma and Deepa.
• In theme questions, clearly state the message: true friends support us; quality matters more than number of friends.
• For character questions, use adjectives from the story like brave, determined, strong-willed for Mario.

Common mistakes

• Do not write that Mario sat on the chair on his first try – he fell several times first.
• The bet was for a fruit chaat, not money or a chair – do not change this detail.
• Do not write that all classmates helped him; only three did, the rest laughed.
• The chair was invisible (impossible to see), not just magical-looking – this is why it was tricky to sit on.

FAQs

What is the story ‘The Chair’ about?

It is about a boy named Mario who boasts about his many friends. His grandfather gives him an invisible ‘magic’ chair, and through trying to sit on it at school, Mario discovers who his real friends truly are.

Who are Mario’s real friends in the story?

Mario’s real friends are Guneet, Asma and Deepa. They held him up so he would not fall, while the other classmates only laughed at him.

What is the main message of ‘The Chair’?

The story teaches that true friends are those who care for and support us in difficult times. It shows that the quality of friendship matters more than the number of friends.

Why did the grandfather give Mario an invisible chair?

He gave Mario the invisible chair as a clever test. Because it was tricky to sit on, only Mario’s real friends would help hold him up, revealing who truly cared for him.

Questions are taken verbatim from the NCERT Poorvi textbook; the summary, notes and all answers are written originally by ClearStudy.

Scroll to Top